Mapua's Clint Escamis is CPC Basketball Player of the Year
COLLEGIATE men’s basketball has no shortage of talents, but five players stood out in UAAP Season 87 and NCAA Season 100.
Clint Escamis, Kevin Quiambao, JD Cagulangan, Allen Liwag, and Mike Phillips will be named the Collegiate Men’s Basketball Mythical Team in the 2025 San Miguel Corporation-Collegiate Press Corps (SMC-CPC) Awards Night at the Discovery Suites Manila in Ortigas, Pasig City on Monday, June 30.
Headlining the pack is Mapua's Escamis who steered the Cardinals to a breakthrough NCAA championship after 33 years, earning the Collegiate Men’s Basketball Player of the Year citation as well in the ceremony presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Pilipinas Live, and GMA.
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The 24-year-old court general led Mapua to a 15-3 win-loss record during the eliminations with averages of 15.44 points, 4.0 assists, 3.61 rebounds, and 1.89 steals per game.
Escamis is just the third NCAA product to receive the distinction after Robert Bolick (San Beda) in 2019 and Rhenz Abando (Letran) in 2022. In the last two years, UAAP players Thirdy Ravena (2023) of Ateneo and Quiambao (2024) of La Salle claimed the honor.
Equally impressive was Quiambao, currently making waves overseas with the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League, despite a foiled title retention bid for the green-and-white.
Prior to his stellar stint in Korea, the versatile 6-foot-7 ace led the Green Archers to a finals return in Season 87, coupling it with his second straight Season MVP award.
He was the first Green Archer to win back-to-back top individual plums since Ben Mbala in 2017 after posting a league-best 16.64 points, to go with 8.64 rebounds, 4.07 assists, and a steal during the elimination round, as he topped the statistical race with 81.357 statistical points.
For his part, floor general Cagulangan of UAAP Season 87 champion University of the Philippines guided a sweet redemption tour and bagged the Finals MVP for a grand swan song before heading to the Suwon KT Sonicboom in the KBL.
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The Fighting Maroon registered 13.67 points, 4.33 rebounds, 4.67 assists, and 1.33 steals in the Finals, while committing only 1.67 turnovers in the three-game series to dethrone Quiambao and La Salle.
The 5-foot-9 Cagulangan finished third in the statistical points after the eliminations with 69.167 SPs through norms of 11.75 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.75 steals per contest.
Also joining the elite squad is 6-foot-6 Liwag who clinched the Season 100 MVP award and Defensive Player of the Year honor after anchoring Benilde into another Finals appearance.
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Liwag topped the NCAA stats race behind a double-double average of 14.61 points and 11.28 rebounds laced with 2.33 assists and 1.22 blocks, as the Blazers dethroned San Beda before falling prey to the Escamis-led Cardinals.
Behind a similar double-double norms of 12.0 points and 11.57 rebounds with 1.71 steals and 1.07 blocks, Phillips of La Salle completes the ‘Fab Five’ in the third CPC awards also backed by World Balance, E-Sports International, Centaur Marketing, My Daily Collagen, Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, and Go For Gold.
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